Spark arrester



mm m, 1924,

J, R. DITTBRENNER SPARK ARRESTER Filed MaxGhZl. 2 Sheets-Sheet i Nov. 1-1 1924.

J. R. DITTBRENNER SPARK ARRESTER 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 Filed March 31 A 1923 Patented Nov. ll, 15924.,

JOHN R. DITTBRENNER, OF BYRON, NEBRASKA;

' SPARK ARRESTER.

Application filed March 31, 1923. Serial No. 629,156.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that JOHN R. DITTBRENNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Byron, in the county of Thayer and State of Nebraska, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spark Arresters, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to spark arresters and particularly to a means for effectively arresting and separating the sparks from the gases and smoke ejected from the stack of the engine.

Among the various objects and advantages of my invention, an important one is that of providing means whereby the arrester may be tilted upon its support so that it will avoid objects as bridge tops and tunnels, and means further for automatically returning the device to normal vertical position. 1

Further advantage lies in the specific construction and arrangement of parts which permit of an effective arresting of the sparks and the conducting thereof safely to a receiving tank.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the arrester;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the arrester illustrating the manner in which it is mount ed on the smoke-stack, and

Figure 4 is a central vertical section at right angles to Figure 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, 2 designates the smoke stack of a locomotive or traction engine and may be ofany conventional design, the present embodiment of my invention not, however, being limited in its application to the specific type illustrated.

The spark arrester and cinder deflector comprises a sheet metal body or hood 4, the central portion of which is depressed to provide an inverted deflecting cone 6, the apex 8 of which in operation will be presented in a direction opposed to that of the flow of the spark and cinder laden gases ejected from the mouth of the stack 2. At the point X, which may be termed the base of the cone, the hood is formed into an annular inverted trough shape or arcuate outwardly flared deflecting portion 12, the cone and the trough shaped portion being integrally joined at the point marked X as by a lap seam, riveting, spot welding or the like.

Joined at the outer periphery of the portion 12 as by an annular band 14, is a dependwall of the cone 6 and the skirt 16, is a frusta-conical annular sheet metal strip 18, the upper edge 20 of which is spaced a suitable distance from the baseof the cone, to provide an annular passage 22, while the lower edge 24 extends substantially coincident' with the lower edge of the skirt 16, but spaced slightly therefrom to provide an annular space across which extends and is connected at its respective opposite edge with the lower margins of the said skirt and metal strip, an annular fiat ring or plate 26 provided with diametrically arranged openings 28.

The frusta-conical sheet metal strip 18 is maintained in spaced relation with the walls of the cone 6 and skirt 16 respectively thru brackets or braces 30 rigidly connected with the outer wall of the strip and the inner wall of the skirt. Suitably coupled with the plate 26 at each of the openings 28 therein, is a pipe or conduit 32, the lower ends of which are suitably connected with a cinder receiv ing tank (not shown).'

For the purpose of conducting or conveying the cinders to the conduit 32, I provide within the space between the skirt l6 and the strip 18, a plurality of inclined sector shaped metal plates 19 which individually taper from their wider upper ends toward their lower ends, which latter portions are arranged adjacent the opening in the ring. These sector shaped plates are, as shown in Figure 2, arranged in pairs, the wide upper portions of each pair being juxtaposed and preferably joined, while the lower portions of each pair meet at the openings in the plate so that the cinders are blownor fall by gravity down the inclines into the discharge conduits 32.

For the purpose of permitting the spark arrester to be lowered as is necessary when the engine passes over bridges or thru tunnels, I provide upon diametrically opposite sides of the skirt 16, a lever 34 rigidly secured to said skirt thru blocks 86, said levers being pivoted adjacent their lower ends to opposite sides of the stack by pivots or journals 38, the free ends of either or both of said levers being provided with counter balancing weights 4A which normally overbalance the weight of the spark arrester and maintain it in vertical position over the mouth of said stack. A cord or cable e0 connected at one end with the arrester as by a ring 42 is accessible to the engineer or other person in charge of the engine, so that it may be tilted on the axis of its journals 38 to avoid any upper obstruction the weight M returning the device to operative position. It is understood that the levers serve as thevsole supporting means for the a-rrester on the stack and further that in operative position, the lower edge of the skirt 1,6 is spaced a suitable distance above the mouth of the stack and further that the diameter of the stack is less than the distance between diametrically opposite points at the lower edge of the skirt, so that the full discharge from said stack is caught by the arrester.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is as follows:

A spark arrester off the class described comprising an outer shell of inverted frustoconical design, a hood of trough-like design connected with the upper end of said shell and terminating centrally in an inverted dependent cone, an inner shell of substantially frusto-conical design surrounding the aforesaid cone and providing a downwardly tapering annular chamber inside the outer shell, the diameter of the upper end of said inner shell beinggreater than the base of said inverted cone to provide an annular passageway leading to the last mentioned chamber, brackets connecting the inner and outer shells, an annulus securing the lower edges of said shells and closing the lower end of said annular chamber. said annulus being provided at diametrically opposite points therein with exit openings, a plurality of arcuately designed sector plates disposed within the chamber between said shells said plates tapering narrower toward their lowerends and terminating immediately adj aceut the openings in said annulus to direct the contents of the chamber thereto, and a pair of'conduits connected with said openings leading to a distant point.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN R. DITTBRENNER. 

